This whole outrage is crap. I would suggest however that going after “Joe the Plumber” fits rather well in McCain's war with the media. I would be willing to bet that there are many more people like “Joe the Plumber” out there who don't like seeing someone like them go through this “vetting”.

“Obama isn't happy about Joe or whatever his name The Plumber, because Joe outed the slippery Barry the artful unvetted dodger” is the point. Obama stupidly admitted he was a socialist & Joe the P had nothing to do with it—-although you lefty hypocrites luv to punish the messenger who reveals what lying buttholes you are.

100% agree with you there. I'm not outraged about Jor or Frost, the sad fact is if you stick your head out of the turret hole you may get shot at. It should not be that way but it is.

“You are contradicting yourself. How can you make a distinction between the two if you don't know about the reporters?”.

I believe you are the one assuming the political bend of the reporters not me.

He did misrepresent himself. Drudge and other right wing sites did trumpet him as the “common man with the potential tax problem” and he did willingly engage in lots of media avails – once you do that you do open yourself up to greater scrutiny as to the validity of your story – totally fair, probably not – thanks, DB> Subject: [themoderatevoice] Re: Is America A Great Country Or What? (Samuel J. Wurzelbacher/Worzelbacher Edition)> From: > To: davebader@hotmail.com> Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:02:02 +0000> > Marlowecan wrote:> > RevDave . . . can you survive that level of scrutiny?> > Can Shaun? He has, by his own account, known some dubious characters in his very colorful life.> > I have known some who are possibly even more dubious.> > And what did Joe do to deserve this? Obama was on his street. He asked Obama a sort-of critical question.> > And you say he got what he deserved. And for what . . . for having a messy life . . . or for daring to question Barack Obama.> > This Joe the plumber is a little man . . . a messy, little man . . . whose life has been f**ked for daring to ask a question. > > Obama will still win the election . . . is it necessary to go DefCon3 on this little man.> > Shakespeare was a wiser, and more humane, person:> > Polonius: My lord, I will treat them as they deserve.> > Hamlet: By God, man, much better. If you treat every man as he deserves, who shall escape a whipping! > > Shakespeare was > > Link: http://themoderatevoice.com/media/you-tube/2357…> > –> You may reply to this email to post your response. To turn off notifications, go to your Disqus settings at: http://disqus.com/settings/notifications/
_________________________________________________________________
Store, manage and share up to 5GB with Windows Live SkyDrive.
http://skydrive.live.com/welcome.aspx?provision…

As has been pointed out, the truth about Joe's question on him wanting to buy his own business is that under Obama's tax plan he would NOT be paying more taxes & most likely would save $$.
So…what was that point you were tryin' to make again?

There was a posting here a few days ago about it; its a pretty slick tool.

I'm simply making the point that this is exactly the same thing that happened with Frost except the parties were on opposite sides. For either side to get outraged over anything anymore is just plain silly. The Right is outraged now even though they used these same tactics on Frost and his family. Likewise, the Left is using the same methods now that they were once outraged by when the Right was using them against Frost and his family. If this is incorrect then please correct me because it certainly looks that way to me.

“There is a right-wing arm of the MSM just as there is a left-wing arm, how do we know the party affiliation of the reporters?” You are contradicting yourself. How can you make a distinction between the two if you don't know about the reporters?

As far as media bias: http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?i…

Yes, the Robin Hood leftie who wants to make the USA a hyper-nanny state and turn us into a workers' paradise. Never worked and it never will work. It's called socialism by people who notice that the Emperor-wannabe let down his guard and admitted he's naked.

I guess it depends on what side of the aisle you're on to say who's being hypocritical here. But this whole thing just seems like an old rerun. I must have missed something, or maybe I'm just not getting it.

Marlowe, it wasn't because he asked Obama a tough question, if that was the case he'd have been as you said, “whipped” before the Wed debate even started.

Who pointed “Joe the plumber” out to McCain to use as a prop in the last debate? I'm 99.99% sure it wasn't democrats or the MSM. Most likely it was McCain's campaign staff who I'd assume are mostly Republicans or perhaps someone in the right-wing of the MSM.

Who talked about “Joe the plumber” and made him a minor YouTube star before McCain brought it up Wednesday? So, I'll ask again, who shined the spot-light on “Joe the plumber”?

Like Polimom, I too feel sorry he's been subjected to this level of scrutiny and I too would hate it if it was done to me.

McCain put him up . . . but McCain did not rip his pathetic little life apart.

My problem with this story is threefold:

(1) It was unnecessary. This guy is insignificant. You, I, and everyone here believe Obama will win.
Even his ex-wife's address is displayed thanks to DailyKOS.

Did she invite it? She divorced the guy, for god's sake. But it seems the methodology of the Kossacks is to burn everyone remotely associated with anyone who remotely criticizes Barack Obama.

(2) There is a lack of human sympathy in the attacks on this man. Yah, his life is a mess. Yah, he seems like a loser.
Again, as Shakespeare said in my comment above, you have to treat people better than they deserve.

We all lead messy little lives, when it comes down to it.
How many lives end well . . . even among the great and the good? Damn few.

(3) Disproportionality. This sad loser was subject to more investigative reporting than was the Annenberg Challenge Files. That is a fact. Unbelieveable, but true.

This is a sad, pathetic . . . and even appalling . . . story.

This is one of the things that I don't get, AR. The first time I saw this, I just shrugged. Obama wants to “spread the wealth around”. Shocka. So what?

That was enough to have people go medieval on his ass!

This guy is small beer. He is nothing. Just a guy with a messy life, who has never made much money, who happened to ask Barack Obama a “potentially” damaging question.

And so the Obama Machine . . . the Obama campaign + friendly media (New York Times, LA Times, Politico etc) + the Left Blogosphere . . . has crushed him.

I feel sorry for the guy. I felt the same way about Graeme Frost and his family last year.

But I really don't see how you can blame this on his having asked a question of Obama. He was one face amongst the multitudes, but it was McCain he put him up for slaughter.

Yes, McCain used him.
Politicians use whatever weapon comes to hand. I recall Walter Mondale and “Where's the Beef” commerical.

And yes . . . like half of the population in the Survivor/Realityshow crazed United States . . . Joe thought his accidental wandering into the spotlight was great.

But . . . as you say . . . when ever have we known the name and personal details over every person who has asked a question of a candidate?

I know of no precedent for this level of raking over a private individual in the MSM. He was not a GOP plant, it seems. He lived on the street Obama was campaigning on. He asked Obama a question about taxes.

I saw Patterico commenting on the LA Times breathless investigation uncovering this guy's liens.

This, from an MSM that utterly refused to assign any reporters to the Annenberg Challenge files.

Unbelievable.

Can Shaun? He has, by his own account, known some dubious characters in his very colorful life.

I have known some who are possibly even more dubious.

And what did Joe do to deserve this? Obama was on his street. He asked Obama a sort-of critical question.

And you say he got what he deserved. And for what . . . for having a messy life . . . or for daring to question Barack Obama.

This Joe the plumber is a little man . . . a messy, little man . . . whose life has been f**ked for daring to ask a question.

Obama will still win the election . . . is it necessary to go DefCon3 on this little man.

Shakespeare was a wiser, and more humane, person:

Polonius: My lord, I will treat them as they deserve.

Hamlet: By God, man, much better. If you treat every man as he deserves, who shall escape a whipping!

Shakespeare was

imho, the problem isn't that he asked a question. It's that John McCain decided to make him the central point of his debate Wednesday night.